Top tips for a healthy home

Ventilate properly

Make sure you have effective ventilation throughout your home by installing a mechanical ventilation system.For more information about different types of ventilation options please click here and to see a range of ventilation providers click here.

Use eco friendly cleaning products

Less toxins and pollutants are spewed into the air, making the air fresher and cleaner

Roll with it

Use roll on deodorant or eco-friendly beauty products rather than aerosol cans

Consider wood flooring

Unplug

Switch off all technology devices by the wall when finished using them

Take your shoes off

Leave your shoes at the door so pollen, dirt, soil etc from outdoors is not spread around your home

Get it tested

If you notice your health deteriorating make sure your home is radon free by getting it tested

Watch paint dry

Make sure paint has properly dried before using the newly painted room

Crack it open

Dry your washing outside, otherwise make sure your windows are open if you have no other option

Time for a change

If you have a shower curtain it is important to change it regularly. Avoid getting one which is made out of vinyl as the material harbours water and creates mould.

Carbon monoxide is highly toxic to humans and causes around 50 accidental deaths a year in England and Wales

Carbon monoxide is highly toxic to humans and causes around 50 accidental deaths a year in England and Wales

Carbon monoxide is highly toxic to humans and causes around 50 accidental deaths a year in England and Wales

Your Health

Common symptoms of poor indoor air quality

Coughing

Sneezing

Watery Eyes

Fatigue

Dizzines

Headaches

Severe symptoms of poor indoor air quality

Eye Irritation

Fever / Chills

Rashes

Hearing Loss

Muscle Pain

Nose Bleeds

Respiratory Problems

Wheezing

Asthma

Lung Disease

Pollutants in the home

Deteriorating health, as a result of poor air quality inside the home, can be caused by the following pollutants

Biological Pollutants

Mould spores (microscopic particles) are found everywhere. They are released into the atmosphere by damp spots on walls, window frames or even decaying food. They can be common in houses which have little or no ventilation. Pollen can be a pollutant factor in your home, usually brought in from outside either by leaving your windows open in high pollen seasons or even by walking around the house in shoes you have worn outside. Dander is tiny particles, which come from feathers, skin, or hair, that may cause allergies.

VOCs

A lot of everyday cleaning products contain chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs can trigger asthma and are found in air fresheners, carpet cleaners, polish and oven cleaners.

Gases

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes mainly from the soil. It can enter a home through:

cracks in solid floors

construction joints

cracks in walls

gaps in suspended floors

gaps around service pipes

cavities inside walls

the water supply

Carbon Monoxide is a gas that has no odour or colour and can have a serious effect on your health. It is present in homes through:

cooking

heating

from the outdoor environment

clogged chimneys

wood burning

incense burning

cigarette smoke

burning candles

Building Materials

Paint can contain lead and formaldehyde which can lead to health problems such as breathing difficulties, increased blood pressure and joint pain.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long, thin fibres that are so small you can't see them. If you disturb asbestos, the fibres can float in the air. This makes them easy to inhale, and some may become lodged in the lungs.

Pollutants in the home

Toxic Home Syndrome – where health deteriorates as a result of poor air quality inside the home – can be caused by the following pollutants

Biological Pollutants

Mould spores (microscopic particles) are found everywhere. They are released into the atmosphere by damp spots on walls, window frames or even decaying food. They can be common in houses which have little or no ventilation. Pollen can be a pollutant factor in your home, usually brought in from outside either by leaving your windows open in high pollen seasons or even by walking around the house in shoes you have worn outside. Dander is tiny particles, which come from feathers, skin, or hair, that may cause allergies.

VOCs

A lot of everyday cleaning products contain chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs can trigger asthma and are found in air fresheners, carpet cleaners, polish and oven cleaners.

Gases

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes mainly from the soil. It can enter a home through:

cracks in solid floors

construction joints

cracks in walls

gaps in suspended floors

gaps around service pipes

cavities inside walls

the water supply

Carbon Monoxide is a gas that has no odour or colour and can have a serious effect on your health. It is present in homes through:

cooking

heating

from the outdoor environment

clogged chimneys

wood burning

incense burning

cigarette smoke

burning candles

Building Materials

Paint can contain lead and formaldehyde which can lead to health problems such as breathing difficulties, increased blood pressure and joint pain.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long, thin fibres that are so small you can't see them. If you disturb asbestos, the fibres can float in the air. This makes them easy to inhale, and some may become lodged in the lungs.

Case Studies

Bryony Lang, 22, Hertfordshire

Bryony moved to the Brighton coast, but after a serious asthma attack, she had to move back home. She was allergic to mould spores, and even though there was no mould visible in her home, the quality of air was having a damaging effect on her health.

“I was really shocked as the house didn’t seem particularly mouldy or damp. I didn’t know you could be allergic to mould spores anyway,” Byrony says.

“It was a really scary time and my breathing was really affected, I had to keep leaving the house to get some fresh air. It is so important to make sure your house is properly ventilated, especially if you’re asthmatic like me.”

Grace Williams, 20 from North Wales is a student at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Grace has had to deal with a serious mould and damp issue in her university bedroom for over a year. Even though it caused her health to deteriorate, like many other students, she had to ‘put up with it’.

“My bedroom is in the loft and has a serious mould issue. I cannot study or spend much relaxation time in there because my eczema flares up massively. I have to use my strong steroid cream and increase my antihistamine intake to cope with the itchiness.”

“The mould worsens the moment it turns cold and it starts to affect my breathing. Since living in this bedroom I’ve found that I suffer with a lot more colds, which obviously affects my University work.”

“It doesn’t surprise me that students have said they think their Uni homes are bad for mould as lots of my friends have told me they have the same problem. Plus it has taken a year of moaning to my landlord for them to do something about it. They assure me it has been sorted, I am living in the same house this year so I will soon find out.”

Expert Advice

Peter Howarth, Professor of Allergy and Respiratory medicine at Southampton University, calls for increased awareness of what is being termed ‘Toxic Home Syndrome’.

“Toxic Home Syndrome occurs when individuals and families are exposed to a potent mix of airborne pollutants within the home arising from poor ventilation, causing respiratory and skin diseases to occur more frequently.

I have had many patients come to me with serious respiratory conditions due to pollutants within the home. With respect to asthma, mould allergy is recognised to be associated with worse asthma and poorer asthma control. The presence of moulds within the home is a reflection of poor ventilation and increased humidity. Homes with mould are also likely to have higher house dust mite allergen levels and this may worsen both respiratory and skin conditions. The lack of adequate ventilation within the home can also be associated with the build up of non-allergenic noxious fumes which are detrimental to health.”